Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-17
SUNDAY. .........APRIL II, iSS
Was II a Mistake?

Speaking for itself, and giving ex-
preston to thoughts which many other
persons have no doubt had in their
minds, the Pearisburg Gazette says:
WAS it not q mistake in Speaker
Stuart not appointing at least two Re-
publicans on the debt commission ?
As il is there is not man on the com
mission who can be fairly said TO repre-
sent the Republican side of the ques-
ton. Would not fair division OF this
commission have done more to elimi-
nate the debt question from politics
than any settlement or compromise
that can be possibly made as the CON-
mission is now composed?"
Speaker STUART had difficult task
to perform. His first duty was to APP
point upon the commission men who
desired to settle the State debt, and
who were willing to lay aside party con-
sideations and act for the best inter
ests of the Commonwealth. In the
discharge of that duty he was compelled
10 Judge as best he could whether the
Republicans in the House of Delegates
were willing to cooperate with the
Democrats in an honest and earnest
effort to rid the State of all debt-trou-
bles. Personally we were in favor of
the appointment of Republican on
the committee and we still think
that there is at least one Republi-
can member of the House of Dele
gates whose appointment might have
resulted in good. We would fain hope
that there are other Republicans Of
whom the same remark would be true.
Bk Speaker STUART dared not allow
the commission to be rendered failure
by any act of his and as the votes and
speeches Of various Republican men,
beers had seemed to indicate that they
were not willing to assist the Democrats
in final settlement of the State debt,
he no doubt decided that it would
be better TO let the Democrats
do the work themselves. He had to
decide between the policy of trying to
secure the support of men who seemed
to be mere Republican partisans and
the policy Of appointing commission
of men more anxious to settle the debt |
than to make a party question of any
settlement that might be made. Ger
tainly it would be a poor excuse for
voting against a settlement to say that
Speaker STUART had put no Replbll-
cans On the commission. IL the Re-
publicans would settle the debt on
terms acceptable to the voters of Vir-
ginis they might have all the members
OF the commission. SO far as We are con-
cerned. We seek to do a much-needed
woik-not party objects.
General WIcKHAM is Republican in
national politics, and has never failed
TO vote the Republican ticket in pre-
sidential election, SO far as we know.
The Mahoneites refuse because he is
not Mahoneite to recognize him as a
Republican. But for all that he was a
Republican when MALONE was ga bet
ter Democrat than BEN. Hill.
If the Republican members of the
Legislature shall aid in their respective
bodies in effecting and perfecting a set
Element of the debt we shall feel some
regret that Speaker STUART did not
have sufficient reasons moving him
thereto to influence him to put one or
more of them on the commission but
we shall, nevertheless, contend that he
did what seemed to him at the time to
be best. And, after all, as EMERSON
truly says, he is not the wisest man who
does what turns out TO be for the best,
but he who does what at the time seems
to be for the best.